Ex-officials depicted as thieves, public servants

LOS ANGELES A half dozen former officials of the city of Bell heard a prosecutor paint them as thieves Thursday. But their lawyers said they were tireless workers for the good of the community.

Defense attorneys said their clients are being wrongly blamed for the misdeeds of a city manager who embezzled millions from the treasury and a city attorney who never told them they were paying themselves illegal huge salaries.

Ronald Kaye, who represents former council member George Cole, said ex-city manager Robert Rizzo kept council members in the dark about what was going on.

“When he ripped off this city and these council members, he duped them,” Kaye said, and if Cole was paid $70,000 a year for a part-time job, “He believed that was reasonable.”

Lawyers gave similar accounts for the other defendants.

But Deputy District Attorney Edward Miller said they knew what they were doing. He alleged that in addition to salaries of upward of $80,000 a year, the officials appointed each other to the commissions that did nothing and met yearly just to increase their salaries.

All are charged with misappropriation of public funds. Rizzo, formerly of Huntington Beach, stands trial with his assistant city manager later this year.